(The Star) KUALA LUMPUR: There is no room in Umno Youth for leaders to make statements contrary to decisions taken by its executive council, said the movement’s deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin.
Umno Youth, he said, operated on consensus and any decision made would be binding on all of its executive council members.
“An exco member may have his own opinion on any issue but once a decision has been made, he is duty-bound not to make statements that are contrary to that decision as that can cause confusion among the grassroots.
“That’s what is called collective responsibility which has always been the practice in Umno Youth,” he said in response to Umno Youth executive council member Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir’s recent statement urging the Government to re-open negotiations with Singapore over the aborted bridge project and other issues.
Khairy said the movement had to issue a disclaimer over Mukhriz’s statement to ensure that the public was aware that the latter’s statement was not representative of Umno Youth’s stand on the bridge issue.
Speaking at a forum in Johor Baru last week, Mukhriz had said the Government should have continued with the bridge negotiations even if the matter had to be brought before the International Court of Justice.
Umno Youth, at its executive council meeting on April 14, had supported the Cabinet’s decision to cancel the project.
Asked whether Mukhriz was present during the meeting, Khairy said: “The answer to that is no, he was not. However, whether he was present or not is not the issue as all exco members are duty-bound to stand by our collective decision.
“Otherwise, I can decide not to attend a meeting and be absolved of the responsibility to stand by the exco’s decision.”
Khairy said all members could give their views on all matters brought before the executive council.
But once a decision had been taken based on consensus, it was everyone’s responsibility to stand by it as a mark of unity and solidarity, he said.
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